


Time Turners and Metamorphs

by LittlePiecesOfTime



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Hogwarts AU, Pairings will come later
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-09
Updated: 2016-03-08
Packaged: 2018-04-13 18:21:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4532424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittlePiecesOfTime/pseuds/LittlePiecesOfTime
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(Hogwarts/Life is Strange AU) Join Max, Chloe and the rest of the gang as they begin their schooling at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. What could possibly go wrong when you pair a shy, time travelling Hufflepuff with a mischievous, metamorphmagus Gryffindor? T for safety/shenanigans. Eventual Pricefield.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**A/N: Hi everyone! Here is my Life is Strange/Harry Potter fic which I mentioned and published first on my Tumblr (Allons-y-tardis . tumblr. com). This is my first fic in about 4 years, so I'm kind of nervous! This is the prologue – I have a lot of ideas floating around and I'm not quite sure exactly where to pin them all down yet, so for now here is a taster of what's to come.**

**Pricefield, obviously – as for the other pairings, I'm not sure yet!**

**Disclaimer: Clearly I am not DOTNOD.**

* * *

Max Caulfield was  _beyond_ excited. She bounced on her converse clad heels, one hand tightly clasped with her mother's while her other rested atop the cool metal of her brand new camera. Her cheeks puffed outwards as she stared at the little walking man on the stoplight across the street – it's colour a deep red. The road waiting to be crossed was busy with midday traffic; the sounds of car horns beeping meshed together with the sounds of the wind rustled trees.

Her cheeks deflated, mouth twisting into a small pout, as her mother let out a chuckle "Be patient Max! We'll be at the park soon." She chided playfully.

Max huffed "Make it go  _faster_  I want to try out my new camera! It's my birthday!" she whined – it wasn't everyday she turned seven! This road was the only thing separating her and the park, and Max didn't like it. Her mother simply let out another chuckle and rolled her eyes at her husband, who had an identical impatient pout as his daughter.

Sighing, Max glared up at the stoplight once again, tapping her fingers against the cool metal surface of her camera as she waited.  _I wish I could make time go faster_  she mused. After a moment or two of intense glaring, the red man flashed to a brilliant green making her grin. Tugging her mother forward, she made a beeline to the gates of the park.

It wasn't long before the family had managed to claim a park bench close to the playground. As it was school holidays, the park was crawling with parents and children. Max listened dutifully to her mother about playing safe and not running off as she slathered her in sunscreen and pulled a hat over her brown locks.

"Do you remember how to take photos, Maxie?" her father asked, winking at his daughter who was rocking on her heels in another attempt to remain patient.

Max grinned before raising the camera up and snapping a photo of her parents. Her mother blinked confusedly while Max giggled, gently pulling out the photo the camera had produced. She handed it to her father, who hummed happily.

"Nice shot Maxie! This is a great photo!" He exclaimed, showing her the photo. In the photo, her mother was glancing over at her father, who was looking directly at the camera, eyes sparkling in amusement.

Max smiled at him before handing it to her father for safekeeping and running towards the playground, the crisp green grass crunching slightly against her shoes.  _It's shaped like a Pirate Ship!_   _Best playground ever!_  She thought happily as she approached it.

The ship looked like it was riding a big wave. A ladder was visible inside the swell of the wave leading up to the main part of the ship. On the deck, the base of the sails were like a mini jungle gym, some children were standing on the top of the jungle structure reaching up toward the pirate flag waving in the wind. A telescope sat at the front of the ship near the Captain's wheel. As Max walked around the side, she could see other kids through the peepholes of the ship.  _That must be the Captain's Cabin!_  She decided. After seeing the twisty slide at the back of the ship, Max was sold. Wasting no more time, she jumped into the white sandpit and clumsily ran towards the ladder.

Careful not to bump her camera against the ship, Max climbed up onto the deck and wondered where to start her pirate adventure. She could hear kids below deck making loud pirate noises and bit her lip.  _It's a mutiny!_   _Maybe I should stay away for now…_  Max shifted her gaze to the jungle gym and, again, hesitated. She didn't want to accidentally drop her camera off the top. That left the slide and the Captain's wheel for her to explore. The abandoned telescope was  _far_  too tempting to resist. Walking over, she knelt down and pressed her right eye against the telescope and giggled as the world contorted around her – she could see her parents from all the way over here! Moving the telescope to the left, and to the right, she examined her surroundings.

"Wonder if there's a  _giant squid_  out there?" she whispered to herself.

Max yelped as the Captain's wheel beside her twisted wildly "Giant  _squid_  you say? Not near MY ship!"

Pulling her eye away from the telescope, Max looked up and to her right nervously. Another girl stood confidently at the Captain's wheel, both hands firmly gripping it. Max couldn't help but gape at the girl's attire; she had a big pirate's hat sitting atop her strawberry blonde head, as well as a matching eye patch covering her left eye. Her uncovered eye was crystal blue and looking back at her with a mischievous sparkle.  _Is she a real pirate?_ Max wondered in amazement.

The girl furrowed her brow confusedly "Hey, what's wrong? We gotta get away from that giant squid, remember?"

Max smiled shyly before pointing off into the distance "I think it went that way, Captain!"

Her new companion nodded, her tongue poking out of the corner of her mouth in concentration as she moved the ship's wheel sharply. The pair continued the game for a while until the still unnamed Captain let out a gasp of shock "We lost the squid, but there's a storm coming! Better get below deck, First Mate!" she exclaimed, holding out a thin hand for Max to grab.

She did so, and only a few moments later, the pair was giggling as they hid in a corner of the Captain's Cabin, both slightly flushed from the exertion. The blonde pulled off her captain's hat and ruffled her hair before throwing Max a big grin "My name's Chloe, I'm seven and a half. What's your name?"

"I'm Max, It's my birthday today, I'm seven too" She replied quietly.

Chloe threw an arm around her shoulders and gave her a quick hug "Happy Birthday! What's this thing around your neck, huh?" she asked, her finger poking the protruding item between them.

Max held it up proudly "It's a p…pola…polaroid camera! My mummy and daddy got it for me!"

Her new friend remained puzzled "What does it do?"

"I'll show you!" Max said excitedly, grabbing Chloe's hand again to lead her up onto the deck of the ship. One ride down the slide later, Max was looking around the playground for something awesome to photograph for her new friend. Chloe looked down at her from the top of the jungle gym, hanging upside down with a reddening face.

"Tell me when you find somethin' cool, Max!"

Walking around the playground once again, Max searched.  _Maybe I could take a photo of the ship, or some flowers…I could take a photo of Chloe?_ None of these options seemed cool enough, so she plopped onto the edge of one of the bricks lining the sandpit with a huff. Beside her was a scratched red bucket and spade, left behind by another kid. She was ready to push it into the sand in frustration when something caught the corner of her eye.

A bright blue butterfly fluttered over the bucket. Once. Twice. It then landed softly on the edge; it's beautiful wings moving slower in rest. Max sucked in a breath before lifting her camera quietly and aiming it at the butterfly.  _Click!_

At the sound of the camera, the butterfly flew away, leaving Max with a freshly produced photo to show her friend.

She all but bolted back up onto the ship and waved Chloe down from the jungle gym. Once back on the ground, Chloe took the offered photograph curiously and gaped at the butterfly "Woooow! This is really cool!" she exclaimed.

Max pushed the photo back to Chloe when she tried to give it back "Y-you can have it." She stuttered out.

Chloe's eyes lit up with joy "Thanks Max! Since you showed  _me_  something cool, it's  _my_ turn!" she whispered secretly before leading Max back down to their corner of the Captain's Cabin.

Whipping off her pirate hat, Chloe plopped it on Max's head, which made her giggle. Chloe grinned before placing a finger to her lips in the universal  _shush_  gesture and looking around the now empty Cabin.

"You gotta keep this a secret, Max. Mum says I'm not supposed to do this outside of home." Chloe pleaded.

Max nodded vigorously and held out her pinkie finger; once again confusing her friend "It's a pinkie promise! Means I won't tell ever!" She explained, grabbing Chloe's hand and latching their pinkies together.

Chloe looked down at their joined pinkies and nodded before taking back her hand and pointing at the butterfly in Max's photo "I can make my hair turn blue, like this butterfly!" she whispered.

" _What!_ " Max squeaked. Chloe groaned and poked her arm "Geez Max, keep it down!"

Max rubbed her arm and muttered an apology, while Chloe just rolled her eyes and grinned, "Check it!" she said smugly before scrunching up her face in concentration.

"W-whoa!" she gasped after rubbing her eyes furiously to make sure she wasn't daydreaming. Chloe's hair really was  _bright blue_. Chloe giggled joyously "Your  _face_! Pretty cool huh?"

She nodded dumbly "B-but how?"

Chloe shrugged "It's magic, like your photo thingie."

Max looked down at her camera "T-this isn't  _magic_  Chloe! I just press a button, look!" she assured her before snapping a quick photo of her friend to prove it.

After taking the photo, Chloe's hair slowly transformed back to blonde, her face paling "Oh…your photos don't  _move_. Oh man, you're a mu…Mum's going to be so mad" Chloe moaned.

"What do you mean? What am I?" Max asked worriedly, her eyes watering. Does this mean they couldn't be friends?

Chloe shushed her, meaning she must have spoken that aloud "Of course we can still be friends, you just can't tell anyone about my magic okay?"

Max sniffled and pulled at her purple jumper "I pinkie promised"

"I know, don't cry! Pick a colour and I'll change my hair!" Chloe suggested worriedly.

Wiping her eyes, Max nodded "C-can you make your hair purple?"

* * *

For another 10 minutes, the pair giggled as Chloe changed her hair many different colours, she even attempted rainbow, which came out a blotchy mess. Max  _insisted_ on a photo of that.

Chloe was still pouting with her rainbow hair when Max heard her mother calling from outside the ship for lunch. Max felt her stomach gurgle "Ask your mummy and daddy if you can have lunch with us, Chloe!"

Her friend agreed and after Chloe had returned her hair to it's natural colour, they clambered out of the ship and met Max's mother outside the sandpit.

"Mummy, this is Chloe! Can she come eat lunch with us with her mummy and daddy?" Max asked, using her best manners. Her mother smiled down at the pair.

"It's nice to meet you Chloe. I don't know Maxine, if Chloe's parents say it's okay, I don't mind." She said thoughtfully.

Chloe snickered slightly and elbowed Max in the side " _Maxine_?" she whispered.

Max poked her tongue out at her while Chloe spoke "Mum and dad are over there, I'll ask!" she announced before pointing over to a couple sitting on a nearby park bench.

15 minutes later, Max and Chloe were sat on the grass with a sandwich and slice of birthday cake each, their parents chatting at the table. Chloe was making happy noises over her mouth of chocolate cake, icing lining her mouth.

"You've got icing on your mouth!" Max laughed.

Chloe shrugged before exposing her chocolate-coated teeth in smile "So do you, Maxeroni!"

Max crinkled her nose as she wiped away the chocolate with her napkin " _Maxeroni?_ " she whined.

Her friend bobbed her head thoughtfully "Maxeroni and cheese!" She howled out joyously, her laughter infectious to Max, despite trying to remain annoyed.

"That joke was far too  _cheesy_ , Chloe!" Chloe's father, William, tutted at his daughter jokingly.

Max and Chloe both groaned at that joke, but quickly perked up when Chloe's mother suggested taking a photo of the girls together. Max passed her camera to her father, while Joyce pulled out a camera from her bag.

"Let's dress up as pirates again!" Chloe exclaimed, rummaging through a canvas bag full of pirate goodies she had brought along. After proudly placing the pirate hat on her head, Chloe offered Max three dress up items, a bandana to tie around her head, an eye patch, and a curved sword. Chloe grinned as she found a hook that could go over one of her hands.

Once the pair was dressed up, they posed for their photographs. Max wielding her sword with one hand, the other swung over Chloe's shoulder. Chloe mimicked Max's hold and brandished her other hooked hand with a grin.

"Say 'Arrrrgh!'" Max's father instructed.

" _Arrrgh!"_ they cried back in their best pirate voices.

After the sounds of cameras snapping concluded, the girls were told it was time to part ways. The girls visibly deflated at that announcement, but after discovering their parents had already passed on telephone numbers, they cheered up.

"Thanks for playing with me, Chloe!" Max said shyly.

Chloe pulled her into a hug and whispered, "Next time, I'll bring the photo of us, but it'll be a  _moving_  photo!"

Max gasped in excitement before placing a hand over her mouth, remembering her promise to keep Chloe's magic a secret. The two small families then walked off in opposite directions of Arcadia Bay.

Max Caulfield was  _beyond_  excited. She'd made a new friend who could do magic! Best birthday  _ever!_  That night, pressing her face into her pillow, Max could only wonder what it would be like to be magical like Chloe.

* * *

**So, how was that?**

**I'm looking forward to hearing your responses (any constructive criticism or suggestions is greatly encouraged!).**

**Thanks so much for taking the time to read this; I had a little bit too much fun writing kid! Chloe and Max!**

**LittlePiecesOfTime**


	2. Accidental Magic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone!
> 
> Sorry for the long delay. I’ve had some personal things going on in the past few months that have taken me away from writing. I hope that you all have had a lovely Christmas/Holidays and are looking forward to 2016.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who reviewed either here, or on ff.net, I appreciate it very much and I’ve enjoyed reading your comments. I’ve had some reviews questioning my choice of houses for Max (Hufflepuff) and Chloe (Gryffindor).
> 
> These two houses just felt right for me personally. Max, though using her powers for personal gain in the series most of the time also uses them to help/save others (e.g. Kate, Alyssa) – I didn’t feel like that sort of manipulation was grounds for making her a Slytherin. Ravenclaw and Gryffindor didn’t feel right either (plus I feel like Hufflepuff doesn’t get enough love!)
> 
> As for Chloe, she’s got the determination of a Hufflepuff, but she’s far too headstrong to belong in that house. She’s more impulsive than Max by far, and less timid than Max when it comes to confrontations.
> 
> For simplicity’s sake, I’m making Arcadia in the UK. On with the chapter!
> 
> Disclaimer: Still don’t own it.

 

“Max? Hey, Max come on…it’s going to be okay!” 

The girl sniffled and cuddled closer to her best friend, shaking her head repeatedly “Nuh uh, Chlo! My parents are gonna think I’m crazy!” she sobbed.

11-year-old Chloe snorted at that and poked her best friend in the side, making her squeak “You sayin’ I’m crazy for doing magic?”

Max shifted, her wet, blue eyes large as they latched onto Chloe’s “N-No…But Chloe, my parent’s aren’t magical remember?” she moaned, pulling out blades of grass underneath her worriedly. She glanced through the sliding doors, watching her parents speak with William and Joyce.

The older girl shrugged before throwing her a grin “You gotta admit…it was kinda funny!”

Max pouted as she recalled the last half an hour.

 

_“Arrrgh! We gotta find the buried treasure!” Captain Chloe declared, brandishing her sword to the sky._

_Max nodded and pulled out a worn piece of paper that they were pretending was an ancient pirate map. She gasped and pointed at the red ‘X’_

_“Look Cap’n! I think the treasure is over there!” Max exclaimed before leading her best friend over to Joyce’s flowerbed._

_Chloe poked her side and whispered “You didn’t actually bury it in the flowerbed did you? Mum would get super mad if we touched her flowers!”_ _T_ _he pair glanced over to their parents, who were sat at the outdoor table, talking about adult stuff._

_“Of course not!” Max giggled before walking carefully through the flowerbed to a small shoebox that was hidden behind one of the bushes. She held it up victoriously._

_Chloe let out a hoot of joy “We’re rich, First Mate!”_

_Max handed it over to her Captain obediently before using her hand to scrub at her nose “Your mum’s flowers smell pretty, but they make my n…” she began before letting out a loud sneeze._

_When Max opened her eyes, she let out a scream of terror. She was in the **sky**! Looking down, she could see Chloe’s opened mouthed expression of terror as she began to fall rapidly back to the ground. _

_“MAAAAX! Mum! Look!” Chloe shouted to her mother._

_Max felt the wind whistling in her ears as gravity pushed her faster and faster to the ground, she squeezed her eyes shut and hoped it wouldn’t hurt too much when she crash landed._

_“Oof!” Max groaned and pressed her hands against the surprisingly soft grass beneath her bottom. It had barely hurt at all!_

_Chloe tackled her into a hug and laughed joyfully “Max! You did magic! I told you the tests were worth it!”_

_She grinned for a moment before seeing the terrified and confused looks on her parent’s faces._

_“Chloe, stay here and look after Max…Daddy and I need to have a talk with Mr and Mrs Caulfield” Joyce said calmly._

“I don’t like flying.” Max muttered, wiping at her eyes.

Chloe giggled, “That was more _falling_ …Dunno why we didn’t try that when I was testin’ you.” She replied thoughtfully.

Max rolled her eyes at that. Since Max had befriended Chloe almost three years ago, she had been randomly trying to see if Max was magical as well.

“ _You don’t have to have magical parents to be a Witch, Max. Mum told me that Muggle families like yours can have kids that are magic.”_ Chloe had assured her then 7-year-old self. 

The most recent test Chloe had tried was encouraging Max to jump off the swing as far as she could. That had only resulted in bloodied knees and a strong telling off from Joyce.

“Cheer up Max! This means we might be able to go to Hogwarts _together!_ ” Chloe said happily, practically vibrating with excitement next to her.

 

Max did feel her spirits lift when Chloe mentioned the magical school – When Chloe had told her that she would be heading to Hogwarts in the September after she turned 11, Max was devastated as that was only months away. While Max wasn’t upset for not having magic most of the time, she _was_ upset at the thought of not seeing her best friend every day.

A familiar shadow passed over the pair, they looked up to see the friendly face of Chloe’s dad, William “Hey kiddos, come on inside – don’t be scared Maxie, everything’s okay.”

Chloe grabbed Max’s hand tightly and half dragged her into the living room, where Joyce and her parents were sat. The former winked at Max, making her blush. When she looked tentatively over at her parents, they were both clutching a cup of coffee and looking at her as if she’d turned her hair blue like Chloe could.

Max took a seat at the dining table next to her mother and across from Joyce. Chloe had taken head of the table between them. William was smiling comfortingly at Max’s parents from his position next to Joyce. 

Clearing her throat, Joyce broke the silence, focusing on Max “So Max, I know what happened out there was scary for you, so William, myself and Chloe are going to try and help you understand.”

Eyes watering, Max shook her head “I didn’t _mean_ to do magic, I swear! I didn’t think I could…” she blurted out before smacking a hand over her mouth.

Chloe groaned at her best friend for spilling the beans, while the elder Price’s looked at Chloe curiously “Yeaaaaahhh…Funny thing happened. I _may_ have shown Max my little…trick when I met her in the park the first time.” She said sheepishly.

“Chloe Elizabeth Price! What on Earth were you thinkin’!” Joyce scolded “Did I not teach you about being careful around Muggles?”

“Muggles?” Max’s father repeated in confusion.

“Non-magic folk” William said kindly.

Playing with her hair, Chloe sighed exasperatedly “I swear I thought she was like us! I thought her camera was magic since it spat pictures out straight away!”

William hummed “To be fair, honey – I did too until I did some research into older muggle cameras, ingenious!”

Joyce huffed before looking back at Max, who was still trying to hold back sniffles “How much did Chloe tell you about the magical world, Max?”

  
Max looked quickly over at Chloe, who just shrugged – she was in enough trouble already.

“N-Not that much. I know that magic people like you have wands, and there is a special school for kids who do magic here in England. I…I also know that families like mine can sometimes have magical kids.” Max answered quietly “What I did was accidental magic, wasn’t it?”

She’d tried not to ask too many questions of Chloe after finding out her magic was supposed to stay a secret. She’d found out about wands after William had accidentally left his on the counter when Max was over a few years ago.

Joyce nodded “That’s right, Max. Because you’re so young, and you can’t control your magic properly, sometimes it will appear when you get upset or angry…or sneeze apparently.” She chuckled.

That made Max grin.

Joyce and William took turns to explain what they had told Max’s parents about the wizarding world. They also revealed more about themselves, which Max was excited about.

 

“I work for the Ministry of Magic in the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office. That means I go around telling people off for making muggle items do magical things.” William explained before beginning to tell a story about a man he had confiscated a bewitched toaster from until Joyce cut him off.

Shaking her head at her husband, Joyce continued, “I manage an Inn called the Leaky Cauldron. Nothin’ too wacky.” She said casually.

“Mum makes _amazing_ waffles.” Chloe gushed. Max’s stomach growled at the mention of food. Joyce wasted no time preparing lunch for everyone, while William answered any other questions that the Caulfield’s had.

Max felt her mother place a hand over her own after she had finished her sandwiches, “Well…at least we know Max isn’t going to be alone.” She said shakily “This is a lot to take in.”

Chloe took Max’s other hand and grinned at the Caulfield’s, her crystal blue eyes shining “Don’t worry Mrs Caulfield, I’ll look after her!”  
  
The younger girl blushed lightly before looking at Chloe’s parents “I’ll try and keep her out of trouble.” She joked.

“Hey!” Chloe whined, her hair turning a brilliant red in her frustration and embarrassment.

Max’s father seemed unfazed by Chloe’s sudden hair colour swap “No need to be hot headed, Chloe.” He joked. Max groaned along with her best friend. Her father was _definitely_ back to normal if he was chuckling along with William.

When the Caulfield family were due to leave, Chloe pulled Max into a tight hug “I can’t believe today was real, Chloe.” Max whispered to her friend.

Laughing, Chloe pulled away and shoved her lightly “Of course it’s real Magic-Max! Wait until you get your Hogwarts letter, _then_ you’ll have to believe it!” she promised.  
 

A few months later, Max and Chloe looked down at the newest photo in Max’s collection. It was one of two photos Max owned that moved.

It showed Max and a blue haired Chloe slinging their arms around each other’s shoulders. They both held up two open letters from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, grinning excitedly.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, that’s it for this chapter! I hope you enjoyed! I know it was slightly shorter than the last one, but I wanted to get something up for you guys since you’ve waited so long…
> 
> I’m still trying to decide what to do with William – do I kill him off or not…I really don’t want to, but it kind of shapes Chloe’s character. I was going to bring David in somehow anyway, so I can make it go either way.
> 
> The next chapter will be Max and Chloe going through Diagon Alley with Joyce – I didn’t want to spend too much time with pre-Hogwarts Chloe and Max, so I hope this is enough for you guys.
> 
> Please leave comments/reviews/constructive criticism – I love to hear from you guys! I promise there won’t be such a gap for the next chapter!
> 
>  
> 
> \- LittlePiecesofTime


	3. Diagon Alley

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m a terrible person for not updating sooner! Thanks to all of you that read the last chapter or left a review for me – I appreciated every single one of them, and I got some wonderful ideas! I hope that this longer chapter makes up for my absence.
> 
> Let’s see what kind of mischief our Partners in Time can get up to in Diagon Alley…
> 
> Disclaimer: Do you really think Episode 5 would have ended that way if I owned it?

 

 

“ _Maaaaaax…_ Max?”

 

Frowning, the brunette swatted her arm lazily in the general direction of the voice calling her. Snuggling into the pillow, she sighed and did not try to resist the pull of sleep…

 

“UPSIE DAISY SUPER-MAX!”

 

A squeal burst from Max’s lips as Chloe’s cold fingers began a deadly assault on her ribs. Curling into a tight ball, she attempted to stall the moving hands while gasping for breath in between fits of pained laughter. 

Chloe was giggling madly as she took back her hands, her hair changing colours rapidly in her joy. Max sat up, whacking her companion with her pillow; a grumpy pout on her now flushed face.

 

“What gives, Chloe?” she whined, looking blearily at the digital clock on her friend’s beside table “It’s _6:30_ am! You’re _never_ awake before me!”

 

The older girl rolled her eyes “Did you _forget_? We’re going to Diagon Alley today!” she exclaimed, bouncing up and down on the bed.

Max stretched languidly for a moment, her brain struggling to process the idea of her best friend being _perky_ at this time of the morning. Normally, Joyce would have to come in and use magic to hold Chloe upside down by the ankle for her to wake up.

Catching Chloe’s crystal blue eyes, she couldn’t help but grin – her mood was contagious. Today, they would be getting everything they needed to go to Hogwarts; the pair had stayed up late into the night whispering about what they were most excited about getting. Chloe was eager to get her wand, though she was also determined to drag Max into the Quiddich shop to prove to her how amazing the game was. Max, on the other hand, was excited about everything. After all, it was brand new to her.

Max felt her face heat up as her stomach let out a grumble of disapproval; Chloe giggled at that “Looks like your stomach is awake, Max! Let’s go see if mum is cooking anything…”

The two girls eyed each other, a mischievous glint appearing in Chloe’s eyes. Kicking her blankets off, Max scrambled out of the makeshift bed Joyce had prepared for her and bolted for the bathroom with Chloe, the pair playfully pushing and shoving. She let out a groan when the door slammed straight in her face, cackling laughter echoing from the other side “Too slow, short stuff!”

Max poked her tongue out at the door childishly for a moment before grinning “Whatever. I’ll just go downstairs and wash my hands…then I can get _the first pancake_.” She taunted, not waiting to hear Chloe’s gasp of horror before bolting down the stairs and doing just that.

 

10 minutes later, Max was giggling over the last few bites of said pancake while Chloe pouted. Joyce scoffed at her daughter’s expression and placed a freshly cooked pancake on her daughter’s plate.

 

“Honestly you two sounded like a pair of Hippogriffs this morning! I don’t know if I should take you by Florean Fortescue's later if you both have this much energy…”

 

Chloe’s jaw dropped “But Max hasn’t _been_ before mum!” she whined.

 

Max glanced up at her surrogate mother sheepishly “Sorry Joyce, we’re just excited…”

 

Joyce hummed in amusement “I know girls, just stick close to me today – Diagon Alley’s pretty crowded this time of year.” She said pointedly.

 

“Are we going by Floo?” Chloe asked with a scrunched up nose. Max had heard of Chloe’s distaste with the magical powder many times before, and she couldn’t quite wrap her head around the idea of travelling by _fireplace_.

 

Joyce shook her head as she cut her own pancakes deftly “I thought we’d travel through London the Muggle way. Max should know how to get to Diagon Alley by foot.”

 

Chloe grinned “Coooool. We get to go on the train!”

 

**

 

An hour later, Chloe and Max held each other’s hands in a vice grip as they followed Joyce through the crowded streets of London on a weekday. Max squeaked as she was shoved by a passing man and sighed “At least we’re not on the train anymore.”

Chloe groaned in agreement, the train had been overcrowded in the morning rush and was definitely not as much fun as the older girl had imagined. Max, having used the Tube with her mother for a few years, was more used to the madness.

 

“Okay girls, here we are.” Joyce sighed in relief. They had travelled Charing Cross road and were currently stood outside a glum looking building. Max looked up at the sign squeakily swinging backwards and forwards – cursive letters spelling out “The Leaky Cauldron”.

 

Max tugged at Joyce’s sleeve “So Muggles can’t see this place?” she asked doubtfully. It certainly stood out from the rest of the stores.

 

The woman nodded “There’s magic protectin’ the building. I think it’s supposed to look like an abandoned shop. Hogwarts has magic hiding it too.” Joyce explained as she pushed the door open.

 

Inside, the pub/inn was warm and full of life. Max looked around wondrously at all the men and women in wizarding robes, going about their morning routine. Joyce traversed the busy room expertly, dodging floating stacks of dirty plates and hot breakfasts to approach the counter. Chloe grinned at her friend’s uneasy expression and squeezed her hand, leading her over to Joyce who was in an animated discussion with another employee.

Upon catching sight of the pair, the woman grinned, “Well if it ain’t mini-Price! Off to Hogwarts I hear?” she gushed, “Time sure is a strange one! I remember chasin’ you round the Leaky in your nappy!”

Chloe groaned at the nickname, her hair unconsciously colouring light pink in her embarrassment “C’mon Maggie…Mum! Don’t encourage her!” she spluttered while her mother chuckled.

 

Maggie winked at her before setting her hazel eyes on Max “Whose your friend?”

 

“This is my best friend, Max! I told ya about her before Maggie…” Chloe affirmed, nudging her friend in the side. Max waved shyly.

 

The woman hummed “Nice to meet you in person, Max! So I hear Joyce is taking you ‘round Diagon Alley for the first time?” she questioned.

 

Max nodded, brushing her hand over the Polaroid camera hanging around her neck “Y-Yeah. Chloe’s been telling me all about it.”

 

Joyce glanced down at her watch “We’d better get goin’ if we wanna get all this shopping done.” She mused. Maggie patted her friend’s shoulder sympathetically before coming round the counter to wrap Chloe in a crushing hug.

 

“You write to me, kiddo! I wanna hear all about school!” she demanded. Chloe choked out an affirmative response before wriggling out of her grip. She then turned to Max and placed a warm hand on her shoulder and squeezed.

 

“I know this is all a bit much to take in, Max. Don’t worry, you’ll settle into our world, it’s in your blood.” She promised.

 

Max’s eyes widened as she glanced up at Maggie’s kindly round face, her green eyes twinkling. _Wowsers…it’s like she read my mind or something!_ Max thought in amazement.

 

“Alright let’s get going you two. See you tomorrow Maggs.” Joyce announced, waving at her co-worker, who had disappeared back around the counter with a wave in response.

 

Joyce led them through the dining room and down a small flight of stairs into a rather messy looking storage room. Max frowned in confusion, which made the elder Price smile.

 

“Watch my wand, Max. This is actually how we get to Diagon Alley.”

 

Max watched in fascination as Joyce slipped her wand out of her wrist holster and began tapping seemingly random red bricks with the tip. Max yelped and stepped closer to Chloe in surprise when the brick wall started to visibly shake. Before her very eyes, bricks were _moving_ and forming an arched opening that led to a place Max could only have imagined in fairy tales.

A twisting, winding brick road seemed to go on forever. On either side, shops were already bustling with people; owls were hooting, and kids were laughing and running toward the biggest sweet shop Max had ever seen. Max wished she could open her eyes wider so she could truly take in what was around her. It was _amazing._ Lifting her camera shakily, she snapped a photo.

 

“C’mon Max! You think this is amazing, we haven’t even started yet!” Chloe laughed. She blushed hotly, realising she’d spoken out loud.

 

“S-so where first?” Max asked Joyce with a small grin, Chloe’s happiness was definitely infectious.

 

Joyce tapped her chin thoughtfully for a moment before following her daughter’s line of sight and chuckling “Alright Chloe, we’ll go to Ollivander’s first. I know you’re dyin’ to get a wand.”

  
Chloe let out a hoot of glee before dragging Max and her mother toward the shop entrance. It was surprisingly quiet inside the small shop; only one other child was in there and she looked as lost and confused as Max felt.

 

“Wonder where Mister Ollivander is…” Joyce queried.

 

The small blonde girl at the counter wrung her hands anxiously and looked at them “H-he’s trying to find my wand. I’ve…b-broken lots of things.” She said quietly, her eyes moving to look at a small pile of shattered glass on the counter shamefully.

Joyce smiled at her comfortingly “Don’t worry, I sent all the wands on that shelf over there flyin’ like crazy when I was trying wands! A wand will chose you, I promise.”

Max frowned at that, _a wand that…chooses?_ She thought confusedly. It appeared the other girl looked as puzzled by Joyce’s comment as she was. The blonde’s expression brightened as she watched Joyce’s wand flick toward the broken glass, instantly repairing it into a vase.

 

“My name’s Kate…are you going to Hogwarts too?” she asked, her voice slightly louder now.

 

Chloe grinned and nodded “Yup! My name’s Chloe, and that’s my Mum.” She introduced. Kate waved shyly at them both before casting her hazel eyes on Max curiously.

 

“My name’s Max. A-are you muggle-born too?”

 

That question made the other girl drop her shoulders in relief “Oh good, I thought I was the _only_ one.” Kate breathed.

 

Joyce chuckled “Trust me sweetheart, you won’t be the only two muggle-born students at Hogwarts.”

 

Kate sighed in relief, pushing a dirty blonde curl behind her ear. She turned back toward the counter at the sound of a clearing throat.

  
The elderly man before them smiled gently, his grey eyes were watery and slightly unfocused while his white hair hung limply on his head. He pushed the wand box toward Kate gently “I believe, Miss Marsh, that this wand may have something to say.” He said mysteriously.

Kate reached a shaky hand out to remove the lid of the box, pushing aside the layer of purple velvet protecting it; she looked down at it tentatively.

 

“This wand is willow, 9 ½ inches…the core is from the mane of a unicorn, light – but not flimsy. It would serve you well in Charms.” Mister Ollivander explained before encouraging her to pick it up.

 

Timidly, Kate picked up the tan coloured wand and held it in her right hand. A moment later, the girl and Max jumped as colourful purple sparks began to shoot from the wand tip. Chloe applauded.

 

“It feels warm…” Kate stuttered out.

 

Mister Ollivander hummed “Yes, the wand chooses the witch or wizard, child. That wand will serve you well.” He declared. Max felt excitement bubble in her stomach as she watched Kate pay for the wand and a holster that looked similar to Joyce’s. She was going to get her _own_ wand.

Kate turned around; her cheeks flushed with excitement “It was nice to meet you both. Good luck with getting your wands. Maybe I’ll see you at school?” she asked with slight timidity.

 

Max and Chloe both nodded enthusiastically and waved to Kate as she exited the shop and approached a tall, bespectacled man who was carrying several large packages.

 

“That must be one of the teachers. Muggle-born children get escorted by a teacher to buy their supplies usually…” Joyce explained.

 

Chloe was almost shaking on the spot with excitement; her hand was clammy in Max’s. Releasing her friend, she nudged her towards the counter “Go on Chlo, I’m worried you might explode.” She laughed. Chloe stuck out her tongue playfully before approaching Mister Ollivander.

 

Half an hour later, Max was more than happy to have let Chloe go before her. It was entertaining watching Chloe use wands that _definitely_ didn’t suit her. The last wand her friend had tried turned Max’s clothes bright pink when she waved it. It had taken Joyce a minute or two to stop laughing before she reversed the charm.

 

“Sorry Magic-Max.” Chloe muttered sheepishly, the corner of her mouth twitching to hold back a smile while Max pretended to pout.

 

The trio watched as Mister Ollivander slowly descended a ladder from the top, a wand tucked beneath his arm. He placed it on the counter with a tired smile “Worry not, I’ve had _many_ more difficult customers, Miss Price.”

 

Chloe smiled thankfully before pulling out a wand that varied in shades of brown from handle to tip. Chloe held it thoughtfully before letting out a surprised giggle “W-whoa, it feels warm, just like Kate said.” She said excitedly looking at her mother.

Max watched as her friend sucked in a breath and waved it with her eyes closed. She cracked an eye open and sighed in relief “Nothing broken…”

 

Shaking her friend’s arm, Max pointed above eye level “No, but _look_ Chloe!’ she said gobsmacked.

 

There, flitting around with a blue glow…was a butterfly. Chloe looked at Mister Ollivander in shock “I…did that?” she muttered. He hummed, the residents of the room watching as the butterfly landed delicately on the tip of Chloe’s wand before disappearing.

 

“It looked like the one in the photo you took when I met you, Max!”

 

Max nodded in amazement “Magic is so cool…” she breathed.

 

Mister Ollivander chuckled and took the wand from Chloe when she offered it to him. He assessed it critically with his misty eyes “Ah yes…this wand is ash, 11 ¼ inches. Very flexible; this is definitely one of the best combinations for transfiguration magic with its phoenix wing feather core.”

 

“Cooooool…” Chloe gushed. She thanked the wand maker repeatedly while Joyce payed for the wand and correctly sized wrist holster.

 

Max looked at the wizarding money and felt her stomach drop “Uh…Joyce? I don’t have that kind of money?” she said worriedly.

 

The elder Price shook her head gently “Don’t you worry about that, Max. Your parents gave me enough to cover your supplies, I exchanged it yesterday.” She promised, pulling a velvet sack from her bag.

 

Max breathed a sigh of relief and hugged her surrogate mother in gratitude. Patting her back, Joyce released her and encouraged her over to Mister Ollivander who was waiting patiently.

 

Chloe sat down on the nearby bench with a huge grin, “Don’t be scared, Max!”

 

Max stood before the man shyly as he peered over the counter “Now, Miss Caulfield. Your dominant hand if you please?” he asked kindly.

 

Holding out her left hand shakily, Mister Ollivander eyed her curiously for a moment. He enveloped his cool hand over hers and hummed “Interesting…” he muttered, eyes shining. Max opened her mouth to ask exactly _what_ was so interesting, but he had already released his gentle grip and moved to the back of the shop and into the aisles of wands. 

She glanced back at Chloe who simply shrugged in response. After a few minutes, the wand maker returned with what looked like an extremely dusty wand box. She watched as he muttered a spell under his breath that immediately cleaned it before pushing it toward her.

 

“I have waited many years to test this wand…it is…curious. Much like yourself, Miss Caulfield.” He explained with a strange expression on his face.

 

Max gulped “W-what do you mean? What’s wrong with me?” she whispered.

 

The old man shook his head “Nothing. I believe you have a lot of magical potential, Miss Caulfield. This wand may help you unlock it.” He said vaguely.

 

Nodding dumbly, Max removed the lid with shaking hands and gently ran a finger over the wand. She felt a shiver of delight run through her body as she touched it and immediately picked it up.

It felt like a natural extension of her body. Warmth flooded through her fingers, making her smile. She’d found it. _Her_ wand. Waving it experimentally, she gasped as flowers bloomed from thin air and fell delicately into the vase that Kate had broken earlier.

 

“Wowzers.”

 

Chloe laughed “I was kinda bummed nothing blew up, but that look on your face totally makes up for it!” she joked, “It’s yours, Max. You’re not dreaming.”

 

 _Definitely not,_ she agreed. The wand was the most beautiful thing – it was dark brown, and had small spiral markings carved into it. Handing it reluctantly over to the wand maker, she waited for his assessment of her new wand.

 

“Mahogany, 10 inches…Flexible with a core of phoenix tail. It will be particularly useful in apperation. I believe this wand will be a reliable one for you.” He said confidently.

 

Max frowned and looked at Joyce “Apperation?”

 

“You won’t be able to learn for a few years, but apperating is how we travel. It’s kinda like teleporting yourself.” She explained simply.

 

Once the wand was packed up back into its box, Joyce explained wizarding money to Max, and together they counted out the required amount for the wand and holster. They then waved goodbye to the elderly wizard and exited back out into the busy alley to continue their shop.

 

**

 

Two hours later, Max and Chloe were sat outside Florean Fortescue's Ice-creamery, licking at their treats happily while Joyce crossed off the items from Chloe’s list. With a sigh of relief, Chloe’s mother leaned back into the chair and smiled at them.

 

“Well girls, we’ve only got one stop left – I promised you both I’d take you to Magical Menagerie.”

 

Max and Chloe high-fived, both of them excited at the chance to get a pet to take with them to school. It had taken _weeks_ of discussions, pocket money saving and promises to be responsible from the girls to convince their parents to let them have a pet each. Chloe had her heart set on a cat, while Max was leaning more towards an owl, that way, she could keep in touch with her parents. She had no doubt Chloe would want to use her owl too.

 

Wasting no time, the girls all but inhaled their ice cream and bee lined for the pet store that they had passed several times already throughout the day. Max eyed the owls thoughtfully as they perched in their cages outside the shop, while Chloe pulled her mother inside to find the cats.

 

She moved quickly past a grumpy looking owl that wouldn’t stop screeching, and toward a familiar owl she had been quietly eyeing whenever Joyce took them past the store. The owl stared at her patiently with shiny black eyes. Reading the sign attached to the cage, Max read that this was a young female Barn Owl. Her feathers were mostly cream coloured all over, apart from its wings and head, which were varying shades of light brown and grey. Max carefully pushed her fingers through the cage and stroked the soft breast of the bird, receiving a quiet hoot in response. Smiling, Max gently lifted the cage and carried her new pet inside and over to the counter. After the young shop assistant explained how to take care of her new owl, Max purchased her (and some owl treats) without the assistance of Joyce this time to count her money.

 

Moving over to the other end of the store with her owl, Max watched as Chloe assessed the cats in their respective cages with barely concealed excitement.

 

“Max! Look, aren’t they awesome?” she piped up before grinning at her “Nice owl! What are you going to name it?”

 

“I’m going to name _her_ Iris.” She said simply. She didn’t know why, but that name seemed to fit her mild tempered owl perfectly. Joyce praised her name choice as she stroked the owl and offered to hold her cage.

 

Max thanked her and watched as Chloe pointed towards a white cat with a chocolate brown face, tail and paws “He’s not stopped starin’ at me.” She told her friend, her blue eyes shining.

 

“These are magical cats – they’re very intelligent. I think he’s chosen you.” A familiar voice piped up. Max and Chloe turned to face the young man who had sold Max her owl. He brushed past them gently before reaching into the cage and handing the warm bundle to Chloe.

 

She petted his head gently “So they’re like wands? They chose their owners?” Chloe asked curiously.

 

The shop attendant nodded “Sometimes. Owls have a tendency to do that as well. Animal magic is quite interesting.” He said happily.

 

Looking down at the purring animal in her arms, Chloe smiled “I’ll take him. I’m going to call him Bongo.” She said confidently. Max let out a little cheer before reaching out and running a hand over newly christened Bongo’s head. The cat’s eyes were bright blue like Chloe’s.

 

20 minutes later, Chloe was stocked up with a small variety of toys, food, carrier, and a magical collar (“You’ll always be able to find your pet, just use a _Point me_ spell!”).

 

After walking out of the store, Joyce looked down at the two very happy eleven year olds “I’m very proud of you girls, you earned this.” She praised before adopting a more sheepish expression “I hope your pets make up for the fact that we’ll be flooing home…”

  
Chloe openly groaned while Max just looked terrified.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How was that? This chapter was a lot of fun to write, and I enjoyed writing Kate. She is such a cinnamon roll it's ridiculous. I need suggestions for what house to put Rachel into...I'm leaning towards Gryffindor, but I would love to hear your opinions.
> 
> Next chapter it's off to Hogwarts!
> 
> \- LittlePiecesofTime


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